The Irvine Valley women's golf team got its season off to a great start on Wednesday.

The Lasers captured third place at the 3rd annual South Coast Classic Invitational Golf Tournament.

IVC was bested only by Santa Barbara and College of the Canyons in the nine-team field.

Canyons and Santa Barbara finished first and second at the state tournament a year ago.

"I was pleased with what the team accomplished in that the 13-hour day involved two-hour each way van rides to play a difficult links courses against a field that included last season's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams," IVC Coach Ben Burnett said.

IVC freshman Samantha Roberts led the team. She tied for medalist honors with Santa Barbara's Jenna Boyle.

Both shot a 5 over par score of 77 on the course, which was located near the Pacific Ocean in Ventura.

Roberts birdied the first two holes and the last two holes.
 
"It was an impressive performance on a course on which she had no previous playing experience," Burnett said.

Her round included 4 birdies, 6 pars, 7 bogeys and 1 double bogey.

Almost as impressive for Irvine Valley was the play of freshman Felicia Titus. She finished with a score of 82.
Titus played the last five holes par, par, bogey, par, birdie. Her round included 1 birdie, 7 pars, 9 bogeys and a double bogey.

Sophomore Val Watts was next for Irvine Valley with a score of 88.

And sophomore Alex Calvillo came in at 95. Calvillo ran off an impressive string of five straight holes on the front nine and had pars on three of her last four holes.

Freshman Bianaca Brown posted the team throw out score of 100. Brown had 1 par and 10 bogeys.

The team plays next at the OEC Tee Off Classic next Wednesday at El Prado in Chino Hills.